Process for the production of artificial silk and the like



as and the drying following thereon.

Patented Jan. 11, 1938 UNITED STATES nocass ma m raoncc'rron or ARTI- rrcun. srLx m ran mm Heinrich Bertsch, Chemnits, Germany, assignor.

by means assignments, to American Hyalaol Corporation. Wilmington. M, a corporation of Delaware No Drawing. Application December 8, 1931, Se-

rial No. 578,849. In Germany December 4,

12 Claims.

This invention relates to a process for the pro- I duction of artificial silk and the like.

The improvement processes in the artificial silk industry such as dyeing, scrooping, etc., have hitherto been carried out by subjecting the finished artificial silk filaments to a treatment with suitable agents such as dyestufi solutions, scrooping agents, etc.

According to the process of this invention for the production and improvement of artificial silk, films and the like in one operation the reagents serving for the improvement in admixture with suitable surface active substances namely higher aliphatic alcohols or their sulphonation products, that is to say those containing more than five carbon atoms in the molecule, or mixtures thereof are not added to the finished filament material or the formed structure, but are allowed to act on the crude cellulose product serving as basis, or added to the spinning solution before the spinning.

Thus, for example instead of dyeing the finished acetate silk, the raw cellulose acetate can be dyed with suitable dyestuffs under addi- 5 tion of one or more of the said surface active substances and then by dissolving the dyed acetyl cellulose the spinning solution can be prepared from which the dyed structures are directly obtained by spinning.

The dyeing process can also be carried out in the spinning solution to which the suitable dyestuffs and surface active substances are added.

In like manner, instead of scrooplng finished artificial silk, the scrooping agent may be added to the spinning solution. For example, to a spinning solution containing acetyl cellulose dissolved in an organic solvent, a small quantity of octadecyl alcohol may be added and the solution spun in known manner. During the process of spinning the scrooping agent is precipitated on and in the fibres and extraordinarily soft and pliable filaments are directly obtained without further after-treatment.

Other impregnating agents of a different kind can also be incorporated in the described manner in the raw material or in the formed structure during its formation by introducing suitable reagents into the still undissolved raw material or adding them to the spinning solution.

This method of working which may be employed in all the known processes for the production of artificial filaments. films and the like, possesses the advantage of a considerable saving of labour by the omission of the after-treatment The action of (Cl. H.)

the reagents which takes place not only on the surface, but also in the interior of the fibres is a very intensive and uniform one and accord! ingly extraordinarily good effects are obtained with relatively small quantities of reagents, dyestuffs, impregnating agents and the like.

It should be understood that the term sulphonation" is used herein in its broad sense and that the sulphonation products proposed include as well as the true sulphonic acids or sulphonates, also the sulphuricacid esters or sulphates and mixtures thereof.

1 claim:

1. A process for the production and improvement in one operation of artificial silk, films and the like obtained from cellulose products, wherein the reagents serving for the improvement, in admixture with higher aliphatic hydrocarbon derivatives of the general formula BOX wherein R is an alkyl radical containing more than5 carbon atomsand xis anHatomor an 80:11 radical, are allowed to act on the cellulose products serving as a basic material for the production of the formed structures.

2. A process as claimed in claim l wherein said reagents, in admixture with the said higher aliphatic hydrocarbon derivatives, are allowed to act on the crude undissolved cellulose product.

3. A process as claimed in claim 1 wherein said reagents, in admixture with the said higher aliphatic hydrocarbon derivatives, are added to the spinning solutions before the spinning.

4. In the production of artificial silk, films and the like from cellulose derivatives, the step comprising adding a compound of the general formula ROX such an alcohol.

8. Artificial silk, films and the'like containing in their structure a mixture of a higher aliphatic alcohol anda sulphonation product of such an alcohol.

7. A process whereby artificial silk threads. films and the like obtained from cellulose products may be formed with improved properties which comprises, adding to the cellulose product before the spinning or forming operation employed in making the threads, films or the like, the reagent serving for the improvement together with a higher aliphatic alcohol having more than 5 carbon atoms in the molecule.

8. A process whereby artificial silk threads, films and the like obtained from cellulose products may be formed with improved properties which comprises, adding to the cellulose product before the spinning or forming operation employed in making the threads, films or the like. the reagent serving for the improvement together with a suiphonation product or a higher aliphatic alcohol having more than 5 carbon atoms in the molecule.

9. A process whereby colored artificial silk threads, films and the like obtained from cellulose products may be formed with improved properties which comprises, adding to the cellulose prodnot before the spinning or forming operation employed in making the threads, films or the like. a suitable dyestufi together with a compound the general formula ROX, wherein R is an alkyl radical containing more than carbon atoms and X is an H atom or an SOaH atom.

10. A process whereby artificial silk threads. films and the like obtained from cellulose products may be formed with improved properties which comprises, adding to the cellulose product before the spinning or forming operation employed in making the threads, films or the like, the reagent serving for the improvement together with octadecyl alcohol.

11. Artificial silk fibers, films and the like composed of cellulose acetate each containing within its structure a compound of the general formula ROX wherein R. is an alkyl radical containing more than 5 carbon atoms and X is an H atom or an $03K radical.

l2. Artificial silk fibers, films and the like composed oi' cellulose acetate each containing within its structure a small quantity of octadecyl alcohol.

HEINRICH BERI'SCH. 

